Page 47 of Summer Ride

He lost track of time, sitting in a room with one of the Costa’s fancy lawyers, who had met them at the station. Lea hadn’t been joking. The man arrived in a suit that probably cost more than Carter’s truck.

Still, he helped cut through the red tape and, after answering all of the detective’s questions as best as he could, Carter was finally told he could go.

However, when the two of them stepped out of the room, he found out that Kara was still being interviewed.

The lawyer, a man named Steven, assured him that his partner, who was in the room with Kara, was the best in the firm and would help her through the process.

While Carter was shown to a sitting area to wait for her, he finally pulled out his phone to text Brett. To his surprise, his friend appeared less than a minute later and sat beside him.

“I’ve been in there observing her interview,” Brett admitted. “I watched yours for a while too.”

“Seriously? How’s it going?”

“Good,” he said, but Carter could tell he knew. He knew all about Kara’s past.

“I don’t know if they told you, they haven’t told Kara yet, but they found Abigail. She’s alive.”

Instantly, everything in Carter’s body relaxed. He leaned his head back and sighed. “Thank god,” he said under his breath. “Was it Kara’s tip that helped?”

Brett nodded. “Which is why they’re interviewing her so carefully.”

“What about Axel?” Carter asked.

Brett shook his head. “She was alone in the motel room. Less than a mile from where she’d last been seen.”

“Is she… Was she…” he started, but he couldn’t get his voice to work to ask the rest of the question.

Brett’s silence answered the question for him.

“She’s at the hospital getting stitches to several large cuts as well as being treated for… other things. But she’s alive and gets to go back to her family, thanks to the tip Kara gave me.” Brett touched his arm. “I’ve heard most of what Kara’s been telling the detective. She’s pale. Very pale. She looks tired, and my wife tells me congratulations are due. I made a point to let the detective interviewing her know of her condition, as well as the fact that she currently has a concussion. It won’t be long before they release her,” Brett added. “But it’s obvious that Axel Johnson is a problem. And until he’s caught, it might be best for you two to avoid him. I heard you’re going to be taking off soon for Damion’s family’s place in St. George?”

Carter nodded. “Yeah, two days left until we can spend the weekend down there.”

“Well, I’ve pulled some strings at the camp. It’s all been arranged. The place is yours for the next week starting tomorrow. When you feel up to it, the pair of you should swing by the camp and pick up the meals and supplies Hannah has set up for you guys. Isaac and his gang assured me that they’ve prepared everything you guys could need for the trip.”

“I… my animals?” he started, but Brett lifted his hand.

“I’ve got your back,” he said easily. “Just leave me a to-do list, and I’ll take care of everything.” He slapped him on the shoulder, then glanced up. “There she is now,” he said cheerfully.

Carter glanced up and saw Kara walking towards him with a dark-haired woman who was obviously the other lawyer. He could see that Kara was tired and still worried sick about the little girl.

Rushing over, he gathered her in his arms and whispered, “Abigail is safe. She’s alive.” He wanted to keep the rest of the news from her until she’d gotten some rest.

He felt her knees give out as she started to cry happy tears.

“Shh,” he said into her hair. “Think you can hold it together until we get home?” he asked, seeing everyone watching them. Then he half walked, half carried her out of the lobby.

She crumbled in his arms as they climbed back into Brett’s car and continued to cry all the way back home. She was lax in his arms as he carried her into the house. He had to shift his hold on her to unlock the front door and step inside.

He was happily surprised when Brett passed him and rushed through the house, checking every room to make sure they were really alone. Carter sat on the sofa, holding Kara, trying to avoid the mess that she’d made earlier. And trying to keep her from discovering that Brett had just searched their home in case Axel had broken in.

“Your place is clear,” Brett said softly. “I’m just a call away.” He left and locked the door behind him.

He felt Kara tense slightly when she realized that Brett might be concerned that Axel would have found them.

“Nothing tells us he knows where you are now. We know that he hasn’t been back to the camp, and he hasn’t been here,” he assured her.

“I’m so sorry,” Kara said softly into his shoulder. “I’m just too tired to think or move. I can’t even be afraid right now. I’m just too tired.”